Foundation Medicine Appoints Steven J. Kafka, Ph.D. as Chief Business Officer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Foundation Medicine, Inc., a molecular information company that brings comprehensive cancer genomic analysis to routine clinical care, today announced the appointment of Steven J. Kafka, Ph.D. to the newly created position of chief business officer. In this role, he will have broad responsibility for business development and operational functions.

“Foundation Medicine is leading a transformation in cancer care where each patient’s cancer can be treated at the level of its molecular blueprint”

“Foundation Medicine is poised to expand the community of physicians, cancer centers and pharmaceutical partners utilizing our services,” said Michael J. Pellini, M.D., president and chief executive officer. “Steve brings a valuable combination of strategic planning, financial and operational expertise to help us drive capacity enhancements in our world-class CLIA-licensed laboratory, as well as a strong track record of building and leading successful pharmaceutical partnerships. On behalf of the whole team, it’s our pleasure welcome Steve to Foundation Medicine.”

Dr. Kafka brings over 15 years of business and strategy experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, with a focus on targeted therapies in oncology. He joins the company from Aileron Therapeutics where he served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer. At Aileron, Dr. Kafka led the company's operations, finance, and human resources functions, and helped to secure a major collaboration with Roche worth up to $1.1 billion.

Prior to Aileron, Dr. Kafka led finance, investor and public relations and business operations as vice president of finance for Infinity Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INFI). While at Infinity, he worked on a number of innovative collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies, including the company’s strategic alliance with Purdue Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in his career, Dr. Kafka was senior director of finance at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he was a key member of the product team in driving strategic planning and alliance management efforts for VELCADE®, a novel targeted cancer therapeutic. Dr. Kafka earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University and his B.A. with Distinction and Honors from Stanford University.

“Foundation Medicine is leading a transformation in cancer care where each patient’s cancer can be treated at the level of its molecular blueprint,” said Dr. Kafka. “By helping to expand the availability of advanced genomic analysis and rational targeted therapies, we are working to ensure that physicians in communities across the world can select the right treatment at the right time for each patient’s individual cancer. I am delighted to join Foundation Medicine in this mission.”

About Foundation Medicine

Foundation Medicine^® is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patient’s unique cancer. The company’s initial clinical assay, FoundationOne^TM, is a fully informative genomic profile to identify a patient’s individual molecular alterations and match them with relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicine’s molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit www.FoundationMedicine.com or follow Foundation Medicine on Twitter (@FoundationATCG).

VELCADE® is a registered trademark of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Foundation Medicine® is a registered trademark, and FoundationOne^TM is a trademark of Foundation Medicine, Inc.